Buggy-top raiser.



No. 679,838. Patented Aug. 6, 1901. J. 6. FORD.

BUGGY TOP BAISEB.

1,Application'filed Mar. 19, 1901.) Modem 3 Sheets-Sheet a.

m: woman mm cowmuro-Lmu. wunmcron, a c.

No. 679,838. V

' J. 6. FORD. BUGGY TOP RAISER.

- [Application filed Mar. 19, 1901.)

Patented Aug. 6, 190i.

3 Sheets-Shea't 2.

(No Model.)

No. 679,838. Patented Aug. 6, I901.

J. 6. FORD.

BUGGY TOP KAISER.

(Application filed Mm. 19, 1901.1 (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 m: NORRISmew ca. PNUYMITMQ WINGTON. o. c,

'UNiTnD "STATES PATENT ()FFIGE.

JOHN 0. FORD, OF MACON, MISSOURI.

BUGGY-TO'P RAISER.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Eatent No. 679,838, dated August 6,1901. Application filed March 19, 1901. Serial No. 51,852. (No model.)

To aZl whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHNO. FORD, a citizen of the United States,residing at Macon, county of Macon, State of Missouri, have inventedcertain newand useful Improvements in Bugg -Tp Raisers, of which thefollowing is a description.

My invention relates to devices for raising and lowering vehicle-tops,and is" an improvement upon the buggy-top raiser patented to me August14:, 1900, No. 655,770; and it consists of the parts and combination ofparts as will be hereinafter set out.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a buggy with myinvention applied. Fig. 2 is a rear elevation in detail enlarged. Fig. 3is a perspective View of a clip forming part of my invention. Fig. 4: isan enlarged detail side elevation of my invention. Fig. 5 is a plan viewof the same. Fig. 6 is a detail elevation of a modification. Fig. 7 is adetail view of the prop-clip. Fig. 8 is a detail view of thespring-catch. Fig. 9 is a side elevation, parts being broken away, ofthe buggy with modified form of myinvention ap plied. Fig. 10 is a topplan view of the modified construction detached from the buggy. Fig. 11is a perspective viewof the crank-arm detached. Fig. 12 is a detail viewin perspective of the clip. Fig. 13 is a detail perspective view of thearm broken away.

1 represents the body of the vehicle, having the usual seat 2,surmounted by the usual shifting rail 3, which is bent upward at itsforward ends and outward, as at 5, on which the bows 6, 7, and 8 arepivoted in the usual manner.

9 is the usual back prop, having a hingejoint 10, the lower end of saidprop 9 being pivoted on the prop-support 11.

12 is a clip the lower or under face of which is concaved, as at 13. Thesaid clip is provided with a forwardly-extending ear or projection 15,through which is formed an elongated slot or bolt-openinglfi, extendingin the direction of the length of the said clip.

17 is an integral upwardly-extending lug at one side of and at the rearend of the clip, having an opening 18. This clip 12 is secured on top ofthe shifting rail 3 by means of the bolt and nut 19, which secure thesaid shifting rail to the seat 2, the concaved face of the .clipconforming to the contour of the said shifting rail, as will be readilyunderstood.

20 is an operating-lever having a handle 21.

22 is a shaft extending entirely across the buggy-seat and journaled inthe openings 18 in the lugs 17 of the clips 12, the ends of the shaftextending beyond the said lugs, as shown in Fig. 5. The operating-leveris rigidly keyed to one end of the said shaft 22, as will be seen inFig. 5.

23 is a curved crank or arm the lower end 24 of which is bent at rightangles, as at 25, i

and then forwardly, as at 26, the forwardlyextending portion of the saidarm being rigidly secured, either by welding or by rivets, to theoperating-lever20. It may be said that the rear end of the arm 23 issubstantially Ushaped, as will be seen in Fig. 5.

27 is a clip comprising two members having concaved inner faces adaptedto embrace the lower portion of the prop 9 when they are drawn togetherby the bolts or screws 28. One of the members of the clip 27 is providedwith a projecting lug 29, which forms a seat for one end of the othermember of the clip.

30 is a stud or post extending from one face of the lug 29. (See Fig.7.)

31 is a link or arm one end of which is pivoted on the stud or post 30,while the other end. of said link is pivoted to the upper end of thecurved lever 23, (see Fig. 4,) thereby completing the connection betweenthe 0perating-lever and the lower portion of the hinged prop 9.

32 is a catch, preferably of spring metal, the lower end of which isconcaved, as at 33, to conform to the contour of the seat-rail, and 34:is a clip adapted to embrace the seatrail opposite to the concaved faceof the spring clip or catch and to be secured thereto by means of thebolts or screws 35.

In the modified form shown in Fig. 6 the upper end of the curved leveris provided with an antifriction-roller 36,which is adapted to roll inan elongated slot 37,, formed in a plate or casting 38, said castinghaving depending lugs adapted to fit around the how 9, to which arescrewed or bolted the clips 39.

From the drawings it will be seen that the operating-lever 20 is lookedunder the springcatch 32 when the top of the buggy is up. When it isdesired to lower the top, the lever 20 is pulled slightly inward to,release it from engagement with the spring-catch 32, and it is thenpulled upward thereby by means of the backward thrust of the lever 23and the link 31, the hinged joint 10 of the bow 9 is broken, and the topis lowered bya continued 7 operation of the lever, as shown in dottedlines in Fig. 4:.

In the modified construction shown, Figs. 9 to 13, inclusive, the clipCis provided with a disk D, cast integral therewith, said disk being ofthe same size as the stub end of the crank-arm. The clip is providedwith beltopenings 0, through which the bolts or screws 0 pass, wherebythe supplemental clip 0 is secured to the main clip 0, as seen in Fig.10,

The crank F is provided with a crank-pin J and with-the shaft H, adaptedto pass through the opening 0 in the clip C,whereb ,y the crank issecured to said clip by means of the nut it.

One end of the connecting-rod E is pivot-' ally secured to theoperating-lever 23, while the other end of said arm is provided with theenlarged head 6, having four apertures or openings 6' formed in saidenlargement.

The parts are assembled as shown in Fig. 9. If difierent adjustments aredesired, the crank-pin J is inserted in the respective openings 6 untilthe desired adjustment is ob,- tained. By reason of these openings 6 theconnecting-rod E has an adjustment in the construction shown of at leastan inch by turning the crank F upon its axis H.

I claim as my inveption- 1. In a buggy-top raiser, the usualshiftingrail clips having a concaved under face and comprising aforwardly-extending lug having an elongated slot, and anupwardly-extending perforated lug, said clips being secured to theseat-rail in combination with a shaft extending across the buggy andjournaled in said clips, an operating-lever rigidly secured to one endof the shaft, an upwardly-curved arm secured to said lever, a linkpivoted at one end to the upper end of said arm and at its other end toa long hinged prop and a spring-catch for locking the operating-lever inits depressed position.

2. In a buggy-top raiser, thecombination with the long hinged prop, of ashaft extend ing across the buggy, an operating-lever secured to saidshaft and an upwardly-curved arm integral with the operating-lever, aconnecting-rod pivotally secured at one end to the operating-lever, of aclip secured to said prop, a crank-arm removably secured to said clipand means for adj ustably connecting said crank-arm to one end of theconnecting-rod.

3. In a buggy-top raiser, the combination with the long hinged prop, ofa shaft extending across the buggy, an operating-lever se-' cured tosaid "shaft, an upwardly-curved arm integral with the operating-lever, aconnect-'- ing-rod having an enlarged end provided with a series ofopenings through the same, a clip secured to the said prop, a crank-armsecured to said clip and adjustably secured in one of the openings inthe enlarged end of thecon necting-rod whereby said connecting-rod isconnected with the prop while the other end of the said rod is connectedto the operatinglever,

JOHN 0, FORD. Witnesses:

R. M. LAWSON, WILLARD CLARK.

